Awaiting the Chase c. 1650

This is a tapestry called *Awaiting the Chase*, and it was made anonymously with wool and silk. Tapestries like this were not just decorative; they were statements of wealth and status. The very material, silk, was a luxury product, and the labor required to weave a piece of this scale was immense. It took skilled artisans months, if not years, to complete a single tapestry, carefully interweaving the colored threads to create the detailed imagery you see here. Consider the social context: hunting was a pastime of the aristocracy, so depicting this scene reinforced the owner's position in society. Also, the elaborate borders and the suggestion of a three-dimensional space would have been highly valued. So, as you look at this tapestry, remember that it’s more than just a pretty picture. It represents a complex web of materials, labor, and social values, blurring the lines between art, craft, and power.